GOD’S WILL FOR YOU!
November 30
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Psalm 100:4
Our nation has established a national day to express thanks to God for His blessings. It should be second nature for those who have experienced God’s amazing grace, mercy and salvation. In case we forget to be thankful, the Lord has given us one special command out of the 800+ single New Testament imperatives: “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Notice that our gratitude to God is all-inclusive: “In everything give thanks…” Ephesians 5:20 stretches us even further with “Always giving thanks for all things.” Really? Always? For every single thing? Is God serious?? We might prefer to say “When I feel like it!” or “When everything’s going my way!” Can we actually be thankful in and for deaths, sicknesses, bills, trials, irritating people, bad weather, accidents, tragedies, etc.? Yes! Even though it is not our natural inclination, thankfulness is imperative for all believers. Left to our own selfishness we are prone to complain and grumble about most anything. Among all the characteristics of humans in the last days (and we are there!), we find “ungrateful” (2 Timothy 3:2). As believers in Christ Jesus the desire to praise and thank our Father for all He has done, is doing and will do in our lives hopefully is evident. We should all be living, breathing thank-you notes, giving gratitude to God and others!
When we truly know Christ as Savior, there is always something to be thankful for even in disappointing times. May your prayer this Thanksgiving be “Lord, You have given me so much. Please give me one more thing: a thankful heart!”
Bob Kulp
AMILLENNIAL FLEET STREET BARBERS
November 29
And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4
Philosophers point to a general principle known as Occam’s Razor, which proposes that the simplest and least complicated solution—i.e., the one with the least amount of working parts—is usually the best solution.
Much of Christendom approaches Eschatology (the Doctrine of Last-Things and End-Time Prophecy) in the same manner. Many assume that there will be a simple, single resurrection-event (or “General Resurrection”), immediately followed by a single, universal Judgment-event, which will then be followed by the Eternal State. Discarded are such “confusing,” “unnecessary,” and “complicating” concepts as 1) multiple resurrection-events involving various distinct companies, 2) a literal and distinct 1,000-year Millennial Kingdom that precedes the Eternal State, 3) distinct Judgments for the saved and the unsaved, 4) a future Temple with literal animal sacrifices, and 5) differing, distinctive programs for national Israel and the Church.
Many would say “Keep it simple! Why all this complexity? Why all these strange and complicating factors?” It is typical to encounter Christians of the “Reformed” persuasion, for example, who routinely characterize the sort of eschatology articulated in our Statement of Faith as “weird.” Others—including some nominal Grace Brethren people—readily confess to being “turned off” by any level of doctrinal complexity whatsoever.
But it isn’t our prerogative to tell God Almighty what His plan should or ought to be, and to arrogantly challenge His infinitely holy and judicious Plan for the Ages! Rather, it is our privileged obligation to attempt to master His Word and embrace those doctrines that He has graciously chosen to reveal. We are not free to wield Occam’s Razor with the wild and destructive excess of a madman, much like Sweeney Todd, “the Demon Barber of Fleet Street!”
Terry L. Reese
UNDERSTAND
November 28
The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking a heart of wisdom; he who would destroy his soul does it. Proverbs 6:32
I saw a commercial where a nice looking young couple cleverly appear to be in bed, then you find they are really just standing there holding the blanket in front of themselves. They are selling a product that they developed, and she introduces the both of them as “Me and my partner, Spencer.” Obviously, they are just living together, and they are not ashamed. They appear to be proud of it. It seems as though this adultery is going on in a large segment of our society. Our verse today tells us that adulterers lack “a heart of wisdom.” The KJV says they “lack understanding.” If you believe the Bible to be true, then you know they lack understanding. Why would one buy the product they promote when they lack understanding? Why would anyone listen to their advice when they have no wisdom? How can a believer be envious of their lifestyle, their wealth, their looks, etc., when this verse says they don’t have a “heart of wisdom?” The verse also says that they “destroy [their] own soul.” It’s not about physical destruction through unwanted pregnancy or an STD. This level of destruction hits the very core of their being. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand why adultery destroys the soul or if you don’t see that happening, the Bible says it, so believe it and act accordingly. Pray that the Lord gives you the strength and the understanding to hear and obey what God is saying to us in this verse. And, in these last perilous days, Christian, make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof (Rom. 13:14).
Tom Johnson
THANKSGIVING DAY EVERY DAY!
November 27
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us make a loud shout to Him with songs of praise. Psalm 95:2
Our Lord seems to love to give us seemingly impossible commands to obey. Such a one is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 5:20 explains that one result of being filled with or controlled by the Holy Spirit is “Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Whoa! Now we are in even deeper, not just giving thanks IN everything but also FOR all things and doing it ALWAYS!
The Greek verb for “give thanks” means to “express thanks well, freely and graciously.” It is in the present tense meaning to do it continually, constantly, habitually, now. It is also in the active voice expressing strong personal involvement in doing it rather than just passively thinking about it. Finally, it is a command and not optional. The Lord desires our responses to be like the Marines “Hua!” – “Heard, Understood, Acknowledged!”
There is no doubt about God’s will here in 1 Thessalonians 5:18!! Who can obey such a command? Only those in Jesus Christ who are born again, saved, redeemed through repenting from their sins and trusting Jesus alone for forgiveness and eternal life (John 3:16).
It is always easier and natural to complain about all things rather than give thanks and praise to God for all things. Even if our whole world is falling apart, as believers we can still thank God everyday for His unspeakable, inexpressible and incomparable gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 9:15). Let’s make everyday Thanksgiving Day as we praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!
Bob Kulp
DEVELOPING THANKSLIVING
November 26
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Psalm 100:4
Do you know the hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God?” The hymn was translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth. The author, Martin Rinkart, was a pastor in Eilenburg, Germany from 1617 to 1649. Eilenburg was one of the many towns caught in the Thirty-Years-War. In 1637, a massive plague swept across Europe which included Eilenburg. Rinkart aided manfully at the beds of the sick and dying. He buried more than 4,000 persons of the 8,000 who died that year. Four thousand into 365 days comes out to about 11 people per day. Yet, the Lord kept him alive. The pestilence was followed by a famine so extreme that thirty or forty persons might be seen fighting in the streets for a dead cat or crow. Rinkart, with the burgomaster and one other citizen, did what could be done to organize assistance, and gave away everything but the barest rations for his own family, so that his door was surrounded by a crowd of poor starving wretches, who found it their only refuge. During that time, he wrote the words of this hymn:
Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in whom His world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms, has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us,
To keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills of this world in the next.
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,
The Son, and Spirit blest, who reign in highest heaven,
The one eternal God, whom heaven and earth adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
Take time right now to thank God for 5 things He has done for you.
Ike Graham
COME OUT WITH YOUR MASKS OFF!
November 25
And whoever exalts himself shall be humbles; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:12
The common excuse for folks not coming to church or salvation in Jesus is that there are too many hypocrites in the church. Are you one of them? Christ alone knows who the real hypocrites are, and He called them out in the Gospels. The Greek word hypocrite actually means “to wear a mask, be a stage actor, pretend to be someone you aren’t.” It’s a good word that has some bad connotations.
Jesus’ harshest condemnation came down upon the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, who were solely devoted to strict adherence to the Law and the traditions devised by the scribes. Jesus issues an evaluation of their ministry and character in Matthew 23 enunciating 10 of their hypocritical characteristics. Rather than bash these guys, maybe we should first evaluate our own spiritual lives and get rid of any masks of hypocrisy we may be wearing.
1. They were more TALK than WALK (vv. 2-4). 2. They were more SHOW than SERVICE (vv. 5-12). 3. They were more door SHUTTERS than OPENERS (vs. 13). 4. They were more PERSONALLY concerned than PEOPLE concerned (vs. 14). 5. They were more “FOLLOW US” than “FOLLOW GOD” (vs. 15). 6. They were more DECEPTIVE than TRUTHFUL (vv. 16-22). 7. They were more concerned with MINORS than MAJORS (vv. 23-24). 8. They were more concerned about LOOKING good than BEING good (vv. 25-28). 9. They were more about HOMICIDE than HOMAGE (vv. 29-36). 10. They were more about RELIGION than RELATIONSHIP (vv. 37-39).
This passage convicts me. How about you? Let’s all search our hearts and confess all hypocrisy and inconsistency to the Lord, and live before Him and others without the masks!
Bob Kulp
CHANGING A KING’S HEART
November 24
First of all, then, I exhort that petitions and prayers, requests and thanksgivings, be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life
in all godliness and dignity. 1Timothy 2:1-2
It would seem likely that when Daniel arrived in Babylon and began to be trained to serve King Nebuchadnezzar, that he began praying regularly for him. It was not Daniel’s choice to be living in Babylon, but God had a plan and a purpose, and it seems that Daniel embraced that mission and sought to live faithfully. Reading through the book of Daniel, it is clear that Daniel was a man of prayer, emphasized by the account in chapter 6.
In chapter 2, God provides Daniel an opportunity to point Nebuchadnezzar to Yahweh. Nebuchadnezzar even acknowledges, “Truly your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings…” (2:47). But he did not fully grasp who God was based on his actions in chapter 3. I wonder if Daniel ever became discouraged that his prayers didn’t seem to be bearing any fruit.
But then in chapter 4, God humbles Nebuchadnezzar in an incredible way. And notice the result, (which I think was in part to Daniel’s prayers) as Nebuchadnezzar declares: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride” (4:37). Only God can change a king’s heart, and it is accomplished through the means of prayer. May God strengthen us to pray faithfully for our government leaders, no matter how proud and corrupt they may be.
Joshua Steiner
STRENGTH IN THE LORD
November 23
This day Yahweh will deliver you up into my hands...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 1 Samuel 17:46a, c
“I am not strong enough to do this on my own.” Have you ever said that to yourself before? Or have you ever said it to God in prayer? It could be there is an overwhelming situation pressing in around us. Or it could be that we have neglected looking to God for strength and have found ourselves to be weak. In any situation it is good to look to the Lord.
David was only a young man when he arrived on the battlefield and saw Goliath defying Israel. All on his own David would never have been able to defeat this mighty warrior. If his physical weakness and lack of agility did not doom him, surely his overconfidence would have. Often we think far too much of ourselves and our own abilities.
How was David able to kill Goliath? It was not because he was able to muster all of his energy and speed at once. It’s not because he hyped himself up at just the right time. Instead, his success was based on his confidence in the power of God. He says, “Yahweh will deliver you into my hands.” At the end of the day he wanted to see God known and glorified even among the Philistines.
What is the lesson of 1 Samuel 17? We are not primarily supposed to take away from it the confidence that if we try hard enough we will be able to slay the Goliaths in our life. Rather, it is to observe the greatness and dignity of God. Be overwhelmed by the character of God and allow Him to be the driving force in your life.
Matt Foreman
GOD IS ALL POWERFUL
November 22
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
God is “almighty,” That is, He has all power. He said to the prophet Jeremiah in 32:27, “Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” Jeremiah needed to hear these words. Through him, God had told the people of Judah to pack their bags and make travel arrangements to go to Babylon. Then, He tells Jeremiah in this chapter to buy a plot of land. It may have well been very puzzling to Jeremiah. He may have thought, “Why would You tell us to leave, Lord, and then tell me to buy land? It doesn’t make sense.” God assures Jeremiah that He knows what He is doing and He has the power to make it happen before He explains what the purchase of the land signifies. I find this very helpful.
How many times have we been puzzled over God’s ways, and doubts about God’s goodness or His sovereignty or His power rise up? To know that God can do anything is extremely comforting. Even if I die (when I die), God has the power to resurrect me. Look at the nation of Israel. God has the power to resurrect them as a nation after hundreds of years as He did in 1948. Now, He is bringing about the fulfillment of His promises to Israel. So it is with us. He has the power to accomplish all that He has promised to us. Promises like nothing separating us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39); or, completing in us what He has begun (Philippians 1:6); or, providing all that we need (Philippians 4:19). Are you resting in His promises today and His power to keep those promises?
Ike Graham
A WHOPPER OF A DEER STORY!
November 21
Come and see the works of God, Who is fearsome in His deeds toward the sons of men. Psalm 66:5
It was 1:00 am, Tuesday, November 1987. We lived in the Everett, PA GBC parsonage which was connected to the church. Behind was a garage, a miniscule back yard scrunched against the wall of the funeral home. I was dreaming away when suddenly the world was blown to smithereens. I sat up thinking, “Wow! Some dream!” Then I heard running down the hallway. A burglar?? Leaping out of bed unarmed, scantily clothed and half asleep, I pursued the “criminal”. Something was in the corner of the dining room! When it raised its antlered head, I uttered, “I can’t believe it’s a deer!” I shouted, “Honey, there’s a deer in the house!” The deer began leaping, seeking an outlet while destroying heirlooms. Without thinking, I threw myself in harm’s way to stop the destruction. As the deer ran past me into the living room, he met my “dear” wife who yelled, “Get out of here!” while holding out both arms. The young buck hopped over furniture and bolted down the hallway leaping out the window exactly from whence he had come. Within minutes policemen were at that same window asking me questions while I leaned against the washer shaking badly. Two girls saw the deer leap through our window after being chased by hunters in a car. The next morning we found the buck’s head in our trash bin!
What’s the spiritual lesson here? Sometimes God allows shocking events to occur in your life just to remind you how awesome He is! Amazingly, no one was hurt, our girls slept through it all and damage was minimal. His protection was obvious! Thus I can proclaim with the Psalmist, “God, how fearsome (awesome) are Your works!” (66:3) Only He could do what I saw that scary night in November 38 years ago Happy deer hunting!
Bob Kulp
THE SOUND OF SILENCE
November 20
Why do You hide Your face from me? Psalm 88:14b
There is a trite sort of response to human suffering and depression that offers pat and formulaic answers to everything. But then there’s the real world, where even the greatest champions of the faith, from Elijah to Spurgeon, have descended into a terrifying maelstrom of blackest despair—“the dark night of the soul.” Our Bible, stamped with the imprimatur of total authenticity, always “tells it like it is”—and life is sometimes like this.
Thus, we have Psalm 88—what R.E.O. White has labeled the "darkest corner of the Psalter," or what Brueggemann has aptly called “an embarrassment to conventional faith.” As with Job, the Psalmist’s “soul has been saturated with calamities”—physical, emotional, and spiritual—as he attempts to endure, amidst a nightmare of isolation and personal abandonment. This is a Psalm to reflect upon when God seems silent and distant in the face of unmitigated disaster. We need a word such as this, because life is sometimes like this.
Many of the Psalms deal with the issue of abandonment and despair—but here, there is no indication of some impending resolution. Further, there is not even the hint of a “rational explanation” or theological analysis of some sort that clarifies the reasons behind the Psalmist’s suffering. Life is sometimes like this.
But even if God is silent, the Psalmist is not! Though feeling abandoned by Heaven, he will not—indeed, he cannot—abandon Heaven! He persists in outcry, giving voice to Pain. He seeks, he knocks—he clings to the hem of the Lord’s garment. He cannot loosen his grasp and remain himself. What else can he be? And so, Faith prevails; God remains “the God of my salvation.”
Terry L. Reese
STOLEN MEDICATION
November 19
Make sure that your way of life is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6
Just weeks after my first heart attack and my first implanted stent, we made the most difficult road trip we have ever experienced, driving from Cameroon to Chad. Stopped at a barrier in the Central African Republic, the officials demanded that we all get out of the vehicle. We failed to lock one of the truck doors. While being harassed we heard a truck door slam. Someone had taken several small items from the truck, including a toiletry bag which contained all of my heart medication.
After fruitless discussion with the officials who denied any knowledge about the incident, we decided to talk to Someone Who knew who had taken the stuff and where it was. We gathered beside the truck to pray. As we finished, we heard a cry from an official. “Mister, your medication is here!” Everything was returned except a cheap camera which belonged to one of the Chadians travelling with us.
We continued our trip and discussed what had just happened. The man whose camera was gone told us that he had told the officials, “If the medicine is not found and the pastor dies, God will curse this whole village!”
So did God use the threat of a curse to move the ones in the know to retrieve the stolen items? Is God truly able to answer prayer? Jesus told His apostles, “Whatever you ask in My name, this will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13) We gave God glory and thanks that day in the truck. There are times when we wonder why things happen. Those times are part of earthly life.
“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials.” (James 1:2) We can count it joy because God has a plan. He works it out for our good and His glory. Jesus promised, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Les Vnasdale
GOD IS TRANSCENDENT
November 18
But will God truly dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built! 1 Kings 8:27
The wisest man who ever lived on earth, apart from Jesus, told us that God is so immense that He could not contain Himself to a miniscule building on planet earth. He also implies that God is transcendent as Isaiah does in 57:15. Transcendent means that God is wholly other. He is not like us in essence. He is separate and distinct. Because He is infinite, we cannot fully grasp His nature because we are finite. He is not limited by space and time. They are His creations.
We are made in the image of God, and so we share certain attributes of God like personality, emotion, will, intelligence, etc. However, we do not share God’s omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, sovereignty, etc. In light of these facts, it is amazing that God bids us to come to Him and learn of Him! Through the prophet Jeremiah, God says: “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Let not a wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast in his might; let not a rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am Yahweh who shows lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares Yahweh” (9:23-24). And Jesus said it like this: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Are you learning from Jesus? Are you experiencing the rest that He promises? If not, why not begin today?
Ike Graham
NON-CONCEALED CARRY
November 17
Preach the Word; be ready in season and out-of-season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2
I was in the hospital to visit, and as I went to leave, some construction work made me have to go down by a different elevator than the one that I came up on originally. It brought me out near the I.C.U. where a young couple sat waiting. Seeing my Bible, the woman said, “Sir, are you a pastor?” I said yes, introduced myself, and asked how I could help. “My father is in the I.C.U. dying from black lung disease, and is not expected to live through the night. Would you share the Gospel with him so that maybe he will be saved?”
That is the kind of request Grace Brethren preachers dream about! I asked his name and went into the I.C.U. He was hooked up to a half-dozen hoses and just as many machines. He could not talk because of the respirator, but was awake, and nodded as I met him. I drew close and shared the Gospel of Jesus, then asked if I could pray with him to receive Jesus. He nodded, and as I prayed I became concerned that his tears might short out the equipment. A smile formed on his mouth around the plastic hoses, and he held out his hand for a “thank you” handshake. I told him “good bye for now”, and went out and shared the good news with his family who gave me his address.
Following up that week, I found not a widow, but a joyful couple! My friend was in an oxygen tent, but back at home! His wife said that he had begun to watch every religious program with her that they could find. Later, she told me that it had been the happiest six months of their married life. Since then, I always carry a Bible in the hospital.
Thank You, Lord, that You had me “in season” at the same time that the fruit was!
Davy L. Troxel
DIVINE PROVIDENCE
November 16
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to do what has happened on this day, to keep many people alive. Genesis 50:20
There are many things that come our way which we may not understand. There are trials and struggles we face. There are also others we love who go through things which we would rather never have happened. How do we move forward with a confidence that God is in charge and things are not out of His control?
Among the things we do not fully understand is how God is able to work through all things in order to accomplish His greater purposes. We call this Divine Providence. It is taught in the Scriptures that God works through circumstances to bring about His will. This includes all we see around us which may appear random but in truth is not.
The terrible things Joseph’s brothers had done to him while they were young, to some people might be unforgivable. It was sin for them to sell him into slavery over their jealousy. Yet, we remember all the amazing things Joseph was then able to do in Egypt. Even to the point of becoming first in command under Pharaoh! As a result many people were saved from starvation and he had a tremendous influence in the Kingdom.
We actually already believe in Providence when we say, “Everything happens for a reason.” In this statement we acknowledge that all seemingly trivial happenings are being directed by and moving all things in the direction of the end of all things.
One day, yet unfulfilled prophecy will be fulfilled. Many of those things will happen by the free choice of millions of individuals. Yet it brings about God’s predetermined end. How amazing is our God!
Matt Foreman
REGRETFULLY YOURS
November 15
Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
You don’t often hear people talk about their past sins or their regrets about their life as it was before they came to Jesus; our “pressing on”, as Paul puts it, convicts us instead to share the victories that Jesus gives. Nonetheless, every Christian has those regrets to some degree. I have four of them that stand out the most in my memory, and they all involve the same situation.
I first heard about Jesus in detail when I was 9 years old. Two ladies from a church down the street from my grandparents invited me to Vacation Bible School. Secondly, a girl in high school who had already served as a missionary in South America tried to explain to me why she would not date me anymore because I was not a Christian. Third, a customer I helped when I worked at Montgomery Ward’s gave me the first Gospel tract I had ever seen. And fourth, a co-worker at a photo lab also gave me a tract, and even asked later if I had read it, and what I thought about it.
So, what do all of these events have in common? Each time, I had the chance to receive Jesus, and yet turned Him away. How I regret not taking the opportunity to live my younger years as a child of God! The blessings I could have had are gone forever.
But, I don’t regret that Jesus kept trying. He finally won me to Himself, and my forever will not be regretful, thanks to Him.
“[God] is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9b
Davy L. Troxel
GOD IS TRIUNE
November 14
Now it happened that in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” Mark 1:9-11
The triunity of God is also referenced in the Old Testament. In Genesis 1:26 when God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness,” He wasn’t talking to the angels. Other passages like Deuteronomy 6:4 and Isaiah 48:16 confirm this. This is unique among the religions of the world. Various religions have a god or gods, but none have 3 divine personalities in one. Consequently, Christianity is not “just another religion like all the rest.” In the passage above, from Mark 1, the triunity of God is clearly set forth historically. When Jesus, God the Son, is baptized, the Holy Spirit, God the Spirit, is visibly manifest in the form of a dove. Finally, God the Father speaks and confirms His relationship with Jesus as the unique Son of God.
For children’s church, we sometimes illustrate this with an egg; the shell, the white and the yolk are 3 components of the one egg. The deficiency of this illustration is that the 3 parts are not equal though they are 3 components of the same egg. I use to tell new believers that there is one God who exists in 3 personalities like one unique family in the universe.
The truth is beyond a complete human understanding, yet very comforting. Jesus, God the Son who became a man identifies with my humanity with all its trials and sufferings. The Holy Spirit who is everywhere at all times is with me whenever I need Him. God the Father knows all about me and yet still loves me as His child. His design and purpose for me is good (Romans 8:28).
Ike Graham
REBAPTISM
November 13
Therefore, to one who knows to do the right thing and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17
Some may be convinced that Matthew 28:19 teaches Trine Immersion—but due to emotional baggage attached to a prior baptism, are reluctant to submit to rebaptism. This presents a real difficulty for some, who feel rebaptism would somehow “wash away” the heartfelt intent and significance associated with their prior experience. Single-immersed individuals may affirm “I was sincerely attempting to honor God!” Others, sprinkled as babies, may feel rebaptism would dishonor the loving-intent of their parents.
In calling upon folks to observe Christ’s command, we aren’t seeking to bring dishonor. We affirm that God recognized the sincere intent standing behind previous commitments—and on that level, they constituted earnest attempts to please Him. However, when one receives deeper enlightenment in the Lord’s ways, we ascend to a higher plane of accountability. NOW one is being called-upon to honor God once again, in the light of a present and more accurate level of understanding (James 4:17)!
Yes, baptism expresses personal dedication, but God also has an important teaching-agenda associated with the Form—and therefore demands that the Rite be conducted accurately, so that His intended message be correctly communicated. Regarding His Holy Ordinances, BOTH Form and heart-intent are important unto God! In Old Testament times, God’s anger burned against the Israelites for careless lapses in ceremonial form (Lev. 10:1-3; 2 Sam. 6:3-10) AND for having an insincere heart-attitude (Isa. 1:11-14, Jer. 6:20). In the Church, God likewise takes His appointed Forms SERIOUSLY (1 Cor. 11:29-30)!
In Trine Immersion, we adore and symbolically identify with the Triune professing faith in the Three Eternal Personalities and praising Each for their mighty redemptive deeds! Single Immersion cannot accomplish this.
Terry L. Reese
RESTORING A BROTHER
November 12
Brothers, even if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each of you looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Galatians 6:1
Everyone desires to get along with others. It is no different in the Church where we ultimately desire to honor God in all that we do. It is sad that sin sometimes pops up in our relationships with others. Sometimes it is us who has sinned. Other times someone around us has sinned. Either way the responsibility of the believer is to first turn to the Lord.
In Galatians 6:1 we are given some regulations for our attitudes when dealing with some serious departure from the will of God. Many other passages might instruct us in such a time. For example, you could read: Matthew 7:1-6; 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13. Here in Galatians we are reminded not to rush into such situations lightly. The believer ought to approach in several ways.
1) “You who are spiritual” – First, we see a preliminary condition for us to approach another person who has sinned. We need to make sure we are right with God so that we will not be found to be a hypocrite. If we neglect this we will find that we have mishandled the situation terribly.
2) “Restore...in a spirit of gentleness” – Second, there is a humble and gentle disposition on the part of the one confronting another. We are not ultimately looking to get back at anyone or give out punishment. In the end, God will make all things right.
3) “Looking to yourself” – Neglecting our own heart will result in our drifting from the Lord. We are often weaker than we think and need to be careful so we do not commit sin ourselves.
Matt Foreman
$$MONEY, MONEY, MONEY$$
November 11
Two things I asked of You, do not withhold from me before I die: keep worthlessness and every false word far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, lest I be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be impoverished and steal, and profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7-8
One of the great things about heaven is that you no longer need to worry about money and finances!
Here on earth, however, money and riches are necessary and needed. God meant for them to be our servants and never become our gods or masters (Matthew 6:24). King Solomon, the wisest and richest man of all time, wrote much about money and finances in Proverbs. Ultimately it is God who controls the flow of riches. What are some of God’s wise fiscal principles that Solomon wrote down for us that we all need to remember today?
Don’t make it your aim in life to be rich (Proverbs 23:4-5). Don’t trust in your wealth (Proverbs 11:4, 28). If you are able, work for your money (Proverbs 13:4). Don’t be dishonest, greedy or take advantage of others to gain wealth (Proverbs 28:8). Be generous in helping others with your resources (Proverbs 28:27). Be very cautious about borrowing money and falling into usury (Proverbs 22:7). Avoid co-signing on loans like the plague (Proverbs 11:15; 17:18). Be a saver as well as a spender (Proverbs 21:20). Some things are much better than lots of money (Proverbs 15:16-17). Solomon was speaking for God Himself, so we would be wise to heed his free financial counseling. And always remember Jesus’ advice in Matthew 6:19-21.
May God bless you richly as you follow Him!
Bob Kulp